SF supervisor wants to extend the reach of food trucks

All Supervisor Scott Wiener has to do is walk outside City Hall on Fridays to see the popularity of the city’s specialized food trucks.

Faced with long lines and growling stomachs, scores of people make the weekly pilgrimage to Civic Center Plaza to grab a pork bun, falafel, cupcake, curry dish or another global culinary delight.

Food-truck clusters have popped up all around the city — from the Upper Haight, to Fort Mason to the Mission. But there are some places where they currently are off limits under city law.

Wiener hopes to change that and will introduce legislation today that calls for allowing food trucks to set up (rolling) shop on college and hospital campuses that are located outside of designated commercial districts. For example, he said, they currently are not allowed at San Francisco State University or Kaiser Hospital.

“San Francisco values choice in food options, and this legislation will increase choices. Food trucks are one such option,” Wiener said.

The city adopted new rules last year to regulate the mobile food vendors. Included was the right to appeal the proposed issuance of a permit, which some brick-and-mortar restaurants — concerned about the competition — have done.

Wiener said one reason he wants to expand the thriving food-truck business to colleges and hospitals is to “help avoid over-concentration of food trucks downtown and in other areas.”